Hordfast

Last updated
Hordfast
Hordfast Fixed Link
Hordfast route.png
Overview
Location Hordland, Norway
Coordinates 60°15′00″N6°00′00″E / 60.25000°N 6.00000°E / 60.25000; 6.00000
StatusRegulatory planning
RouteStamvei E39.svg E39
Start Halhjem
End Jektevik
Operation
Work begun2024-2025
Opens2030's
Operator Norwegian Public Roads Administration
Tollyes

Hordfast or the Hordaland Fixed Link is a planned road project between the mainland city of Bergen and the island of Stord in Hordaland county, Norway. [1] Hordfast is the colloquial name for the project since it will connect the islands of Hordaland county with the fastlandet (which is the Norwegian word for "mainland").

This project is one part of the "ferry-free E39" project. It aims to improve the European route E39 highway system so that it will link the west coast cities of Kristiansand - Stavanger - Haugesund - Bergen - Trondheim without the use of any ferries to cross the numerous fjords in the region.

The route is still in the planning and regulatory phases, which is expected to be completed in 2023. [2] Currently there is no estimated opening date, but is anticipated to be completed in the early 2030's in close timing with Rogfast. The completion of both will provide a permanent complete road link between the major cities of Stavanger and Bergen.

Routes

The project has been in the planning stage for several years, and of several options under discussion, one has been chosen as the favoured one. The selected option is a bridge over Bjørnafjorden. This fjord is very deep and would require a floating bridge of world record length, around 5 km(3 mi), allowing ship traffic under. It would be an advanced and fairly rarely used technology, a much bigger version of the Nordhordland Bridge. In 2019 the project was estimated to cost about 20 billion kr. [3] [4] This option would give the shortest driving distance.

The other options considered were over Austevoll, but it is the most expensive as it requires two long and deep tunnels, both similar to Rogfast. Other options would route the road through Tysnes municipality (with ferry) or Fusa (a long floating bridge, a detour, no ferry).

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Os, Hordaland</span> Former municipality in Hordaland, Norway

Os is a former municipality in the old Hordaland county, Norway. It was located in the Midhordland region, just south of Norway's second-largest city, Bergen. Due to its proximity to Bergen, Os experienced strong population growth. The administrative centre of Os was the village of Osøyro. It is the largest settlement in the municipality, with over 60% of the municipal residents living here. Other large villages in Os included Hagavik, Halhjem, Søfteland, Søre Øyane, and Søvik. On 1 January 2020, the municipality became part of Bjørnafjorden Municipality in Vestland county.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kristiansund Mainland Connection</span> Norwegian road

The Kristiansund Mainland Connection is a road system consisting of the European route E39 highway and Norwegian National Road 70 that connects Kristiansund Municipality to the neighboring islands of Frei, Bergsøya, and Aspøya and then to the mainland of Norway. Krifast opened in 1992 and consists of 25 kilometres (16 mi) of road and 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) of bicycle paths. The three main structures are the undersea Freifjord Tunnel, the Gjemnessund Bridge, and the Bergsøysund Bridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Triangle Link</span> Fixed link of tunnel, road, and three bridges between Sveio, Norway, and Stord and Bømlo islands

The Triangle Link is a fixed link with three branches connecting the islands of Stord and Bømlo to each other and the mainland at Sveio, Norway. It consists of the underwater Bømlafjord Tunnel from Sveio to the island of Føyno, the Stord Bridge from there to Stord, and a road including the Bømla Bridge and the Spissøy Bridge to Bømlo. The section from Sveio to Stord is part of European Route E39, while the branch to Bømlo is part of County Road 542.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western Norway</span> Region of Norway

Western Norway is the region along the Atlantic coast of southern Norway. It consists of the counties Rogaland, Vestland, and Møre og Romsdal. The region has no official or political-administrative function. The region has a population of approximately 1.4 million people. The largest city is Bergen and the second-largest is Stavanger. Historically the regions of Agder, Vest-Telemark, Hallingdal, Valdres, and northern parts of Gudbrandsdal have been included in Western Norway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boknafjord</span> Fjord in Rogaland county, Norway

Boknafjord or Boknafjorden is a fjord located in Rogaland county, Norway. The huge fjord lies between the cities of Stavanger and Haugesund and dominates the central part of the county. The main part of the fjord is shared between the municipalities of Kvitsøy, Stavanger, Tysvær, Bokn, and Karmøy. There are dozens of smaller fjords that branch off the main part of the fjord, reaching most municipalities in the county. At its longest, the Boknafjord reaches about 96 kilometres (60 mi) into the mainland at the innermost point of the Hylsfjorden. Other notable branches include the Saudafjorden, Sandsfjorden, Vindafjorden, Hervikfjorden, Førresfjorden, Erfjorden, Jøsenfjorden, Årdalsfjorden, Idsefjorden, Høgsfjorden, Lysefjorden, and Gandsfjorden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nordhordland Bridge</span> Bridge in Vestland county, Norway

The Nordhordland Bridge is a combined cable-stayed and pontoon bridge which crosses Salhusfjorden between Klauvaneset and the island of Flatøy in Vestland county, Norway. It is 1,614 meters (5,295 ft) long, of which the pontoon section is 1,246 meters (4,088 ft) long. The cable-stayed section consists of a single 99-meter (325 ft) tall H-pylon which has a length of 368 meters (1,207 ft) and a main span of 172 meters (564 ft). This allows for a clearance of 32 meters (105 ft).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stord Bridge</span> Suspension bridge in Stord, Norway

The Stord Bridge is a suspension bridge which crosses Digernessundet between the islands of Stord and Føyno in Stord Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The bridge is 1,077 meters (3,533 ft) long, has a main span of 677 meters (2,221 ft) and a clearance below of 18 meters (59 ft). It carries two lanes of European Route E39 and a combined pedestrian and bicycle pathway. It is part of the Triangle Link, a fixed link which connects Stord to Bømlo, and both to the mainland. In 2010, the bridge had an average 5,021 vehicles per day. The bridge and the link was a toll road from the opening until 30 May 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Askøy Bridge</span> Suspension bridge crossing the Byfjorden in Norway

The Askøy Bridge is a suspension bridge that crosses the Byfjorden between the municipalities of Bergen and Askøy in Vestland county, Norway. It is 1,057 meters (3,468 ft) long and has a main span of 850 meters (2,789 ft). Its span was the longest for any suspension bridge in Norway, until the Hardanger Bridge was opened in August 2013. Now the bridge is the third longest in Norway. It carries two lanes of County Road 562 and a combined pedestrian and bicycle path. The bridge's two concrete pylons are 152 meters (499 ft) tall and are located at Brøstadneset in Bergen municipality and Storeklubben in Askøy municipality. The bridge has seven spans in total, although all but the main span are concrete viaducts. The bridge has a clearance below of 62 meters (203 ft).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bømla Bridge</span> Bridge in Stord and Bømlo, Norway

The Bømla Bridge is a suspension bridge which crosses Spissøysundet between the islands of Nautøy in Stord Municipality and Spissøy in Bømlo Municipality, Norway. The bridge is 998 meters (3,274 ft) long, has a main span of 577 meters (1,893 ft) and a clearance below of 36 meters (118 ft). It carries two lanes of County Road 542 and a combined pedestrian and bicycle pathway. It is part of the Triangle Link, a fixed link which connects Stord to Bømlo, and both to the mainland at Sveio. Plans for a crossing arose in the 1960s, and was until the 1990s planned as a pontoon bridge further north. The Bømla Bridge entered the plans after the decision to combine the crossing with the Bømlafjord Tunnel. Construction started in 1999; the bridge cost 342 million Norwegian krone (NOK) and was opened for use on 30 April 2001. The bridge is a toll road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sotra Bridge</span> Bridge in Vestland, Norway

The Sotra Bridge is a suspension bridge which crosses Knarreviksundet between Knarrevik in Øygarden Municipality and Drotningsvik on the mainland of Bergen Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It carries two road lanes and two narrow pedestrian paths of National Road 555, providing a fixed link for the archipelago of Sotra. The bridge is 1,236 metres (4,055 ft) long, has a main span of 468 metres (1,535 ft) and a clearance of 50 metres (160 ft). In 2007, it had an average 25,494 vehicles per day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">European route E39</span> Road in trans-European E-road network

European route E39 is the designation of a 1,330 kilometres (830 mi) north–south road in Norway and Denmark from Klett, just south of Trondheim, to Aalborg via Bergen, Stavanger and Kristiansand. In total, there are nine ferries, more than any other single road in Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bømlafjord Tunnel</span> Road tunnel in Norway

The Bømlafjord Tunnel is a subsea road tunnel under Bømlafjorden which connects the island of Føyno in Stord Municipality to the mainland at Dalshovda in Sveio Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The tunnel is 7.82 kilometers (4.86 mi) long and reaches 260.4 m (854 ft) below mean sea level. It carries three lanes of European Road E39 and is part of the Triangle Link, a fixed link which connects Sunnhordland to Haugaland. Plans for the tunnel arose in the 1980s; construction started in 1997 and the tunnel opened on 27 December 2000. The tunnel was built using the drilling and blasting method, with two teams building from each end. The tunnel runs through an area composed mostly of gneiss, phyllite and greenstone. The tunnel was the longest subsea tunnel in Norway until the opening of Karmøytunnelen. It is still (2013) the deepest point on the E-road network. The tunnel was a toll road from the opening until 30 April 2013. In 2012 the tunnel had an average 4,084 vehicles per day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Submerged floating tunnel</span> A tunnel that floats underwater, deep enough to avoid water traffic and weather

A submerged floating tunnel (SFT), also known as submerged floating tube bridge (SFTB), suspended tunnel, or Archimedes bridge, is a proposed design for a tunnel that floats in water, supported by its buoyancy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rogfast</span> Subsea road tunnel in Rogaland, Norway

Rogaland Fixed Link or simply the Rogfast is a project, constructing a sub-sea road tunnel between the municipalities of Randaberg and Bokn in Rogaland county, Norway. The tunnel will be called the Boknafjord tunnel; it will be a world record with respect to its 27-kilometre (17 mi) length and its maximum depth of 392 metres (1,286 ft) below sea level. This will be a part of the main European route E39 highway along the west coast of Norway and it will link the cities of Kristiansand – Stavanger – Haugesund – Bergen. It is currently slated for a 2033 opening.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bjorøy Tunnel</span> Subsea road tunnel in Vestland, Norway

The Bjorøy Tunnel is a 2,012-metre-long (6,601 ft) subsea road tunnel in Vestland county, Norway. The tunnel is part of the Norwegian County Road 5236 which connects the island of Bjorøy in the municipality of Øygarden to the mainland near Håkonshella and Hilleren in the city-municipality of Bergen. It crosses underneath the Vatlestraumen strait, reaching 88 metres (289 ft) below mean sea level. It serves as a fixed link for the 900 residents of the islands of Bjorøy and Tyssøy as well as a large number of cottage owners who vacation on the islands. The first proposal was launched in 1980, and construction started on 29 September 1993. There were severe problems because the tunneling encountered an area of sandstone, causing a year's delay. The total construction cost was 59 million kr. It opened on 7 May 1996 and remained a toll road until 29 January 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vestre Bokn</span> Island in Norway

Vestre Bokn is an island in Bokn municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. The 36-square-kilometre (14 sq mi) island is the main island of the municipality. It lies on the northern side of the Boknafjorden at the southern end of the Karmsundet strait. Vestre Bokn lies between the islands of Karmøy and Austre Bokn and Ognøya. The main population centre on the island is the village of Føresvik, the administrative centre of the whole municipality. There are about 661 inhabitants on the island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salhusfjorden</span>

Salhusfjorden is a 4-kilometer (2.5 mi) long fjord and sound between Bergen Municipality and Alver Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. To the west, it starts between the villages of Salhus and Frekhaug, where the Byfjorden meets the Herdlefjorden. To the east, the fjord ends between the village of Knarvik and the Hordvikneset peninsula, where the Osterfjorden runs northeast, the Sørfjorden runs southeast, and the Radfjorden runs north. The fjord is up to 500 meters (1,600 ft) deep. It acts as one of the borders between the districts of Midhordland to the south and Nordhordland to the north. The islands of Holsnøy and Flatøy lie along the northern side of the fjord.

The Storfjord Bridge is a proposed suspension bridge that would span Storfjorden in Sunnmøre, Norway. If built, it would be 3,600 metres (11,800 ft) long and have a main span of 2,300 metres (7,500 ft). This would make it the longest spanned bridge in the world, easily surpassing the 1915 Çanakkale Bridge, which has a main span of 2,023 metres (6,637 ft). The plans have been developed by Aas-Jakobsen for a Storfjordsambandet, a company which aims to toll finance the bridge. According to Rolf M. Larssen of Aas-Jakobsen, there is a larger challenge securing sufficient funding than technically building the bridge. It is estimated to cost 4.3 billion Norwegian krone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skjersholmane–Valevåg Ferry</span>

Skjersholmane–Valevåg Ferry was an automobile ferry which connected the island of Stord to the mainland in Sveio. The route was operated by Hardanger Sunnhordlandske Dampskipsselskap (HSD) and ran between Skjersholmane on Stord to Valevåg on the mainland as part of European Route E39. In 2000 the ferry transported 480,103 vehicles and 1,069,446 passengers.

References

  1. "Hordfast". Hordfast. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
  2. Arbrev, Les (25 July 2022). "Hordfast kjem!". Os&Fusaposten. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  3. Bolstad, Jon (2013-07-28). "Vil byrja bygginga av Hordfast i 2018" (in Norwegian). NRK . Retrieved 2014-12-31.
  4. Rydland, Sølve (2013-03-21). "Krev raskaste vegen for ferjefri E39" (in Norwegian). NRK . Retrieved 2014-12-31.


60°7′N5°30′E / 60.117°N 5.500°E / 60.117; 5.500